BookTalk.org

when you read a good old fashion book...do you prefer hardback or paperback? I really don't care much. I don't tend to fold my pages back much on a paperback. The hardback feels nice but can be hard to take along if you are in the waiting room.

I prefer paperback, though I would argue the larger ones are the best to handle and for the "book smell" that is so enjoyable.

I have a Kindle; it was given to me at Christmas by my (adult) children a couple of years ago. Like you, Wendy, I still like the look, feel and smell of a 'real' book, but the Kindle has its advantages; see my thread in this section "Kindles and iPads and Nooks, Oh my."

As a younger person, I loved paperbacks. You could buy them for a dollar or less. I reserved hardbacks for works I would want to refer to over time; poetry, history, classical literature, etc. Unfortunately, the inevitable passage of time, with the resultant aging of the body, plus some health issues, has caused my eyesight to deteriorte. This makes the smaller print of paperbacks a definite negative for me (One advantage of my Kindle is that I can increase the size of the print to a more comfortable level).

In obtaining print books, whether on loan from my local library, or to purchase, I usually go for hardbacks; I usually start with the large print editions, but even 'regular' print is generally larger than in paperbacks.

Didn't mean to ramble on so long, I guess just another indication of advancing age.

I have a Kindle Keyboard with wifi
I got a Kindle Fire HD for Christmas
and I also have a Nook.

Part of my reason for getting the Nook has to do with publishing issues so it is somewhat for business so I got the bare minimum Nook available and therefore can't say much about it.

As for the Kindles, they are great. I too love books, especially pre-owned ones which have some notes in them; that being said, there is a limit to how many books one can take with them or keep up with at home. My Kindle has over 80 items on it. Some of those items are book series of up to 8 or ten volume and thousands of pages. All of that is at my fingertips where ever I go. Additionally, I can access the internet, do google searches, check face book and email and while the interface is not as fast or efficient as a computer, it does in a pinch and fits in my pocket.

Now for the DOWNSIDE, and it is significant:

There is almost no production cost in putting a book on Kindle or any other similar device; yet, I frequently find books priced at or above the hard copy price. That is unfathomable to me and is strictly robbery as far as I am concerned.

Second, I have books which are over one hundred years old. Where will my Kindle books be in 100 years? Will my grandchildren be able to read them on my Kindle or whatever technology is in place then?

Comments welcome.

I love paper back. I find that hardcovers are a bit too hard. They don't allow for much moving around. They usually feel a bit too solid in my hands.

I like both but it's most comfortable to read a paperback.

I prefer paperbacks. They need less space so I can store more of them in my shelves. Besides, they are a bit too inflexible to my taste... and sometimes difficult to take along.

I've been considering a Kindle myself, I love hardbacks...I find kindles being a bit more logical to use over paper books. Less paper used, more power used(charging), more space saved (less selves needed).

I prefer ebooks, but I would take a paperback any day over a hardback. And one that is new, not a library or used book, as every page I turn, I never know what will be on them, like boogers with nose hairs sticking to them, that kind of thing. I read said books with hand sanitizer next to me. With an ebook, don't have to worry about any of that when I turn a page, you know?

Olivia22 wrote:I like both but it's most comfortable to read a paperback.

^this for me as well.